Labour Minister Colin Jordan is calling on workers across the island to ensure that Safety and Health Committees function.
Speaking today at a workshop hosted by Banks Holdings Limited (BHL) at its Newton, Christ Church headquarters, Mr. Jordan said Government was committed to ensuring workers are protected, and so the participation of employees on Safety and Health Committees was vital.
Acknowledging that his Ministry continues to place emphasis on encouraging the functioning of these committees and workers’ participation in all safety and health exercises, he stressed this was because without them employees would suffer, when and if there were accidents.
He pointed out that the Safety and Health at Work Act called for equal representation. “I am calling on workers to ensure that these Safety and Health Committees work; so even if there is no Safety and Health Committee in your organisation, you have to agitate because it is the law. You also have to agitate, apart from it being the law, because it is also the right thing to do.
“Because you are the ones who will be impacted; so you have to agitate in your places of work to make sure that Safety and Health Committees are established and that workers are participant in those committees and that the committees work,” Minister Jordan said.
He further stated this involved ensuring inspections are done; action is taken with respect to any issues raised relating to these inspections, and there is a process or some mapping of what is to be done to make sure “wrong things are put right” and risks to life and limb, safety, health and welfare of workers are mitigated or eliminated.
Mr. Jordan outlined that between 2022 and 2023, Government had enacted about 10 Regulations under the Safety and Health At Work Act. He said these were related to personal protective equipment, general duties, drinking water, sanitary conveniences, washing facilities, fuel stations, noise, the right to refuse dangerous tasks, and workstations.
The Minister urged participants to leave the session with knowledge of these regulations and strive to contribute to safety practices in their organisations as well as the reduction of accidents.